Apostates “quietly bring in” corruptive ideas.They spread “deceptive teachings,” “twisting . . . the Scriptures” to fit their own ideas. (2 Pet. 2:1, 3, 13; 3:16) Clearly, apostates do not have our best interests at heart. The Bible’s counsel regarding how to deal with them is clear. (Read Romans 16:17; 2 John 9-11.) “Avoid them,” says God’s Word. Other translations render that phrase “turn away from them,” “keep away from them,” and “stay away from them!” We do not receive them into our homes or greet them. We also refuse to read their literature, watch TV programs that feature them, examine their Web sites, or add our comments to their blogs. What are some false stories that could lead astray the unwary? In principle, the expression “false stories” can apply to any religious lie or myth that could turn us “away from the truth.” (2 Tim. 4:3, 4) Satan has promoted other lies that could mislead us if we are not careful. Consider some examples. *Anything goes—right or wrong. It is determined by how you feel. * God will not intervene in earth’s affairs. Being influenced by such a live-for-today spirit could cause us to become “inactive or unfruitful.” (2 Pet. 1:8) *God does not care about you as an individual. Believing this satanic lie could cause us to give up, feeling that we could never be worthy of God’s love. The truth is that Jehovah loves and values his worshippers as individuals.—Matt. 10:29-31. We must keep up our guard, for the thinking and attitudes of Satan’s world may seem plausible on the surface. Remember, though, that Satan is a master of deception. Only by heeding the counsel and reminders of God’s Word can we avoid being misled by Satan’s “artfully contrived false stories [“cleverly concocted myths,” The New American Bible].”—2 Pet. 1:16. w11 7/15
Posted on: Sat, 10 Aug 2013 23:10:43 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015